Shalome said:
I wonder if people would be making the same arguments about a practicing surgeon who wanted to schedule a break from an intensive surgery every three hours to pump breast milk. Or would people say "gosh, maybe that doctor should still be on maternity leave, or maybe she shouldn't be scheduling long intensive surgeries for herself if the demands of her current physical condition don't allow her to do her job in the same way a non-lactating doctor could"?
Would that be discriminating against women?
Why did you have to bring up a damn good argument, Shalome?? Now I don't know what to think. Meanie.
I guess the big difference between the example posted by the OP and Shalome's example is that in the case of the exam accommodating the lactating woman would not be difficult nor detrimental (as I can see it) where as in the case of a surgeon taking breaks during intensive surgery it would be.
Ultimately, however, I think this is an issue of biology rather than gender discrimination (though the two are intrinsically connected). For example, I think that such accommodations would extend to say a man with an enlarged prostate who may need more bathroom breaks than the general population.
I have to disagree Jessy. The point is you can't do it for one person and not for others, everywhere, all the time. That certainly would be difficult. To me all of this seems a little silly, after all what does she plan to do during her residency?
I guess I just don't understand how allowing people extra breaks during an exam entails allowing people such exceptions "everywhere" and "all the time". As I stated, I feel that such an accommodation should extend to anyone who has a medical condition. As for what she is going to do during residency, I don't know, nor is it pertinent.
MessyJessy
Fort Myers, FL
August 2005
JUL 02, 2007 12:15 PM